Speeding: it's not about safety, it's all about getting caught

posted by Mark Robertson -

Nov 11, 2018

When it comes to speeding, many American motorists don’t worry about safety. They just worry about getting caught. Those are the findings by researchers from Purdue University which surveyed nearly 1,000 motorists about speed limits and driving habits. Researchers found that many drivers are cynical about the safety benefits of driving within speed limits, and many think they can drive safely while speeding as long as they won’t get caught.

… More than a third of the drivers in the survey thought it was safe to drive 20 mph over the speed limit. Overall, the vast majority of respondents said they thought it was safe to speed, with 79 percent saying it was safe to exceed the limit by 10 mph or more.

… The study also found that public service messages aimed at trying to get speeders to slow down don’t work.